GoPro HERO 3 User Manual

User ManUal

table of contents

Accessories 4

Mounts + Accessories 5

HERO3 Features 6

Camera LCD Status Screen 8

Camera User Interface Flow Chart 9

Soware Updates 10

Basics 10

Join the GoPro party at facebook.com/gopro to see

what other GoPro owners are capturing and sharing.

Share your footage and join the GoPro movement!

2 3

Camera Modes 13

Camera Settings 20

Delete 30

Capture Settings 32

Set Up 40

Wireless Controls 49

Storage/SD Cards 51

System Requirements 52

Transferring Files 53

Playback 54

Battery Life 56

Important Warning Messages 58

Camera Assembly 59

Customer Support 65

PREMIUM ACCESSORIES

HERO3 ACCESSORIES

Wrist Housing

see More at gopro.comwear it. MoUnt it. love it.

MOUNTS + ACCESSORIES

LCD Touch BacPac

Battery BacPac

Wi-Fi Remote

The Frame Mount

(HERO3 accessory)

™

More HERO3 accessories available at gopro.com

Replacement Housing

Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery

Lens Replacement Kit

Caps + Doors

32GB/64GB microSD™

Helmet Front

Mount

Floaty Backdoor Head Strap Suction Cup Mount Vented Helmet

Roll Bar Mount Tripod Mount Anti-Fog Inserts Grab Bag of

Curved + Flat

Adhesive Mounts

Chest Mount

Harness

Side Mount Camera Tethers

Handlebar/Seatpost/

Pole Mount

Surfboard Mounts

Strap

Mounts

Wi-Fi Remote

Mounting Kit

4 5

Hero3 featUres

1. Status Indicator Lights (Red)

2. SHUTTER/SELECT Button

3. LCD Status Screen

4. Wi-Fi Indicator Light (Blue

5. POWER/MODE Button

6 7

)

6. Micro HDMI Port

(Cable not included)

7. microSD

8. mini-USB Port

Card Slot

(SD card not included)

(Supports Composite A/C cable/3.5mm stereo mic adapter, not included)

9. HERO Port

10. Battery Door

11. Wi-Fi ON/OFF Button

12. Audio Alert

caMera lcd statUs screen caMera User interface flow cHart

The LCD screen displays the following information about HERO3 modes and settings:

MODES

1. Camera Modes/FOV (Field of View)

2. Capture Setting Modes (not shown)

3. Resolution/FPS (Frames Per Second)

4. Time Interval Settings: (not shown)

5. Counter

6. Time/Storage/Files

7. Battery Life

Note: The icons displayed above will vary depending on what mode your camera is in.

8 9

CAMERA SETTINGS

CAPTURE SETTINGS WI-FI

SET UP

*Note: White Balance only appears in your camera display if Protune mode is

turned ON. Playback only appears if Playback is activated.

software UPdates

GoPro releases product updates through soware updates. Check

to see if any updates are available for your camera or other GoPro products. Visit: gopro.com/update.

UsinG YoUr Hero3: basics

GETTING STARTED

Before using your HERO3 for the ﬁrst time:

1. Insert a microSD™, microSDHC™ or microSDXC™ card into the card slot with label facing forward, narrowest part of the card ﬁrst. Speed Class 10 or higher cards are recommended. When using 0.5 second Time Lapse or recording video in Protune mode, a Speed Class Rating 10 is required.

2. Place battery into the camera.

3. Charge battery. The included lithium-ion battery comes partially charged. To

charge, connect the included USB cable to camera and connect the other end of the cable to a power source such as a computer, GoPro Wall Charger or GoPro Auto Charger. No damage will occur to the camera or battery if used

prior to a full charge.

Status Indicator Lights when camera is OFF and

PRO

charging, show:

• Status Indicator Lights are ON when charging.

TIP:

• Status Indicator Lights are OFF when charging is complete.

▶See BATTERY LIFE for more information. ▶See PROTUNE for more information.

10 11

CAMERA DEFAULT SETTINGS

The HERO3 Black Edition camera powers up with the following default settings:

Video Resolution 1440p48fps

Photo Resolution 12 Megapixels (MP)

Photo Burst 30 photos in 1 second

Time Lapse 0.5 seconds

Wi-Fi OFF

Want to change your VIDEO and PHOTO settings?

PRO TIP:

▶See SETTINGS MENU to make changes.

UsinG YoUr Hero3: basics

POWERING ON AND OFF

OVERVIEW

UsinG YoUr Hero3: c aMer a Mode s

The HERO3 features several camera modes. To cycle through the modes, press . The modes will appear in the following order:

To power ON: Press and release the Sound Indicator emits three beeps.

To power OFF: Press several times and the Sound Indicator emits seven beeps.

PRO TIP:

. The red Status Indicator Lights ﬂash three times and

for two seconds, then release. The red Status Indicator Lights ﬂash

Want to t urn your HE RO3 into a “on e-butto n” camer a that automatically starts recording Photos or Videos once it turn s ON? Set the c amera to ONE BUTTON m ode.

VIDEO

PHOTO

PHOTO BURST

TIME LAPSE

PL AYBAC K

PRO

Use PHOTO BURST to capture fast moving subjects.

TIP:

▶See PLAYBACK for more information.

Record Video

Capt ure singl e Photo

Capt ure Burst p hotos

Capt ure Time L apse ph otos

Appe ars only i f the came ra is plug ged into a T V/HDTV. PL AYBAC K allo ws you to pla y Photos and Videos on a TV/HD TV (via op tional Mi cro HDMI cab le or A/ V composite cable).

▶See ONE BUTTON mode for more information.

12 13

UsinG YoUr Hero3: c aMer a Mode s

VIDEO

To record Video, verify the camera is in Video mode. If the Video icon your camera’s LCD screen

To start recording: Press and release

Indicator Lights will flash while recording.

To stop recording:

Press and release camera emits three beeps to indicate recording has stopped.

The HERO3 automatically stops recording when the memory card is full or the battery is out of power. Your video will be saved before the camera powers OFF.

▶See VIDEO mode for instructions on how to change resolution settings.

14 15

is not showing, press repeatedly until it appears.

. The camera will emit one beep and the red Status

. The red Status Indicator Lights ﬂash three times and the

PHOTO

To capture a Photo, verify the camera is in Photo mode. If the Photo icon on your camera’s LCD is not showing, press

To take a photo: Press and release . The camera beeps two times and the red Status Indicator Lights ﬂash.

▶See PHOTO modes for instructions on how to change resolution settings and other PHOTO features.

UsinG YoUr Hero3: c aMer a Mode s

repeatedly until it appears.

UsinG YoUr Hero3: c aMer a Mode s

PHOTO BURST

In Photo Burst mode your camera takes multiple photos in short time intervals— 3 photos/1 second, 5 photos/1 second, 10 photos/1 second, 10 photos/2 seconds, 30 photos/1 second, 30 photos/2 seconds or 30 photos/3 seconds.

To capture a Photo Burst series, verify the camera is in Photo Burst mode. If the Photo Burst icon on your camera’s LCD screen is not showing, press

repeatedly until it appears.

To take a Photo Burst series:

Press and release beeps multiple times.

PRO TIP:

▶See PHOTO BURST for instructions on how to change the interval settings.

16 17

. The red Status Indicator Lights ﬂash and the camera

Sometimes 30 photos/1 second is too fast. Try a slower

Burst setting to better match the action.

Time Lapse mode captures a series of photos at 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 second

intervals. When using the 0.5 seconds setting, an SD card with a Speed Class 10 Rating is required.

To capture a Time Lapse series, verify the camera is in Time Lapse mode. If the Time Lapse repeatedly until it appears.

To take Time Lapse: Press and release . The camera initiates countdown and the red Status Indicator

Lights ﬂash each time a Photo is taken.

To stop Time Lapse:

Press and release . The red camera emits three beeps to indicate that Time Lapse has stopped.

▶See TIME LAPSE for instructions on how to change the interval settings.

UsinG YoUr Hero3: c aMer a Mode s

TIME LAPSE

icon is not showing on your camera’s LCD screen, press

Status

Indicator Lights ﬂash three times and the

UsinG YoUr Hero3: c aMer a Mode s

SETTINGS

The Settings menu allows you to adjust a variety of camera settings including:

Video Resolution

Photo Resolution

Time Lapse

Photo Burst

Continuous Photo

• and more

▶See SETTINGS MENU to make changes, learn how to navigate menu options and read more details on each setting.

18 19

PLAYBACK

You can playback your GoPro Photos and Videos on a TV/HDTV or with the LCD Touch BacPac when camera is powered ON and plugged into a TV/HDTV.

▶See PLAYBACK for more information on viewing your Videos and Photos.

™

(optional accessory). Playback appears as a camera mode

caMera set tinGs

SETTINGS

To enter the Settings menu:

1. Verify the camera is in the Settings menu. If the Setting

camera’s LCD screen is not showing, press

2. Press

3. Use

4. Press

5. To exit, hold down

20 21

to enter menu.

to cycle through the various Settings options.

to select desired option.

for two seconds or cycle through to and press .

PRO

If at any time you wish to exit from the SETTINGS MENU,

TIP:

press and hold

for two seconds.

repeatedly until it appears.

icon on your

VIDEO RESOLUTION/FPS/FOV MODES

You can change Resolution, FPS and View Angle (FOV) for your HERO3 camera when using Video mode. This mode contains sub-level menu options.

Once in the Settings menu:

1. Press

2. Use

3. Press

4. Use

5. To change additional options, repeat step 4.

6. To exit, hold down

to enter .

to cycle through options.

to enter desired menu.

to cycle through each sub-menu option and to select.

press

for two seconds or cycle through to and

+ 23 hidden pages